After two EPs, Cameron AG has already developed a voice worth listening to

Homeward Bound EP

Cameron AG

7

Release date: 04 November 2016

Country:
United Kingdom

Dream pop, Britpop, and a dash of mainstream EDM - I suppose that isn’t the weirdest combination in modern music. Even if it was, Cameron AG likely wouldn’t care as he confidently borrows bits from each for his own songs.

His second EP this year, Homeward Bound largely follows in the footsteps of Way Back Home right down to keeping the strongest, catchiest melody for the last song ("Heroes" and "Lost Direction", respectively). The dreamy, warm bath feel of Home is carried over to - and sharpened on - Bound. The production here, especially on opener "In Repeat", hugs you with all the assurance of a child's security blanket.

While this 'laying on a cloud' aesthetic is the basis for his songwriting, his use of itchy, Britpop-esque guitar in "Walk Your Line" and muffled EDM on "Heroes" offer an Earthly counterpoint to all the sky-high emotion - as if you were pulled out of a daydream.

The weak point, unfortunately, is the lyrical content. As on Home, Bound leans heavily on the I/You relationship point of view. Most of the time it works ("You try to read between the lines / In black and white" is as succinct as it is clever), but it gets clunky when it doesn't ("Trying my best to take it i n/ But you look so thin" is just awkward).

That said, the music here - like the soaring optimism in the choruses of "Repeat" and "Walk Your Line" - is great enough to overcome a few lyrical mistakes. After a pair of promising EPs, Cameron AG has already found his voice. Now, we're left to wonder what he could accomplish with a full-length release.